Photo by Michael G. Baron of SNY.

Updated by Mitch Petanick on May 17, 2013

Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start throwing again today, and is back with the team in Las Vegas. He was placed on the seven day DL, retroactive to his last start. He will rejoin the rotation next Wednesday when the team is in Iowa.

Wheeler received a cortisone shot last Wednesday after being diagnosed with inflammation of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. He is still expected to only miss one start, which would have been on Saturday of this week.

Updated by Joe D. on May 15, 2013

Zack Wheeler has been diagnosed with slight inflammation in the AC joint in his shoulder, and will miss one start, according to Assistant GM John Ricco.

Wheeler received a cortisone shot at the Hospital for Special Surgery in his right shoulder and is flying to rejoin his team at Triple-A Las Vegas.

We spoke to his agent a few minutes ago who said there is no structural damage and that he is in good spirits.

That said, until I see Wheeler back on the mound pitching again, I will remain concerned.

It’s just the Mets fan in me.  :-)

Get back on that mound soon, Zack…

Original Post May 14, 2013

Zack Wheeler has a sore right clavicle, and will fly to New York to be examined by team doctors tomorrow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

“I think we’re being a little conservative,” assistant GM John Ricco told reporters about the Mets top prospect. Wheeler had already met with the team doctor in Las Vegas.

That said, Ricco added that Wheeler will not make his scheduled start on Saturday in Omaha.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Wheeler will undergo an MRI exam on his collarbone while in New York.

Terry Collins commented on this and said:

“From what I’ve heard today, it doesn’t sound serious. But any time you miss a start, it’s for the best interest of the player. We’ll wait to hear the doctor’s report and go from there. If it’s only one start, that’s certainly something we can handle easily.”

After a rough start to the season. Wheeler made a mechanical adjustment and has had incredible success over his last three starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and walked only three while posting a 1.35 ERA.

Overall, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA for the season with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.

While the team calls this precautionary and conservative, any kind of soreness in the surrounding shoulder area should be a cause for some concern.

Thoughts From Mitch Petanick:

I’m hoping for the best here, but preparing for the worst. What I am worried most about is the fact that Zack Wheeler pitches using a delivery called the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Some pitchers use this delivery and go through their careers injury free, but many of them suffer injuries that require surgery…like John Smoltz and Stephen Strasburg.

Wheeler also recently tweaked his mechanics, which is what his improved control is accredited to, but could that mechanical fix in addition with the Inverted W delivery been enough to cause this shoulder discomfort? I guess we will find out after his MRI, but even precautionary MRIs are a cause for concern.

The Inverted W is like playing with fire…you can get burned.

Thoughts from Matt Musico:

The most famous No. 1 in Mets’ history has some advice when it comes to the man who is quickly becoming the most infamous No. 1 on the Mets.

“Give the kid a chance,” Mookie Wilson said Friday when discussing Jordany Valdespin. “He is a very spirited kid, very young and has a lot to learn, no question about that. But some things are being blown out of proportion. I think we need to back up and not overanalyze everything.”

That’s what Mookie told Bill Price of the Daily News.

“I do know the kid personally,” said Wilson. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for a limited time. I think we need to give everyone an opportunity to explain themselves and what is really happening.”

“They are struggling right now and I think that’s expected when you have young players and players coming in from other organizations. This is similar to what the Mets went through in the early ‘80s. Winning was not a frequent thing, we didn’t see the results of our labor, but in 1983 we were starting to be in games. I see that with the Mets now.”

And the beat goes on…

UPDATE:

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog writes moments ago:

However, no team can guarantee success, regardless of who they sign, trade for or develop. They can only guarantee that New York’s media will continue to push on a story until it bleeds, because they know it will sell and people will read and listen… which is exactly what we’ve seen this week with this Valdespin and Collins story.

Is he kidding me?

What is going on over there…

As the Knicks were getting pasted in Indianapolis, the Mets did their part to put New York sports fans in a gloomy mood in tonight’s 10-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the Mets’ fifth straight loss to drop them to eight games under .500. Since Jordany Valdespin’s tenth-inning grand slam, April 24, beat the Dodgers to go to 10-9, the Mets have gone 4-13.

ON THE MOUND: The Mets needed innings from Dillon Gee, or more to the point, effective innings. Instead, the Cardinals got to him for six runs through three innings. … Robert Carson gave up a three-run homer to Carlos Beltran. He also gave up a homer to John Jay.AT THE PLATE: So much for the decision to go with Ike Davis and Lucas Duda back-to-back in the batting order. Terry Collins attributed his move to the match-up against John Gast, who was making his first start. Didn’t he know Gast would be pitching tonight? More importantly, this juggling of Davis – because of an unproven pitcher such as Gast – speaks loudly of Collins’ confidence in Davis. … John Buck prevented total embarrassment with a RBI single. … Marlon Byrd hit a two-run homer.

OLD ACQUAINTANCES: Carlos Beltran was a one-man wrecking drew offensively and defensively for the Cardinals. In addition to a couple of nice plays in right field, the former Met Gold Glove All Star went 3-for-5 at the plate incuding the back-breaking three-run homer, four RBI and two runs scored.

WHEELER INJURED: Zack Wheeler will come to New York to have his right clavicle examined. After three straight strong starts, Wheeler complained of soreness in the area. He’s expected to miss at least one start.

BY THE NUMBERS: 6: Homers given up by Carson in 8.1 innings.

THEY SAID IT: “We’ve gone through a bad streak and it’s two weeks long. … We have to play better. We have to coach better. We have to manage better.’’ – Collins on this miserable stretch.

ON DECK: Shaun Marcum (0-3) will start against Shelby Miller (5-2) on Wednesday.

Scott Atchison, who experienced numbness in his fingers while pitching Monday, has been placed on the disabled list according to Assistant GM John Ricco.

Atchison was examined Tuesday in New York by team doctors who said there is “no new structural damage.”

The 37 year old veteran reliever opted not to have Tommy John surgery last year despite a ligament tear in his right elbow.

Collin McHugh has been promoted from Triple-A and is in St. Louis. He will work out of the bullpen while with the team.

In eight starts for Las Vegas, McHugh was 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. In 49.1 innings, he’s walked nine and struck out 36.

Originally Posted at 9:00 AM

Mets reliever Scott Atchison took the mound pitched last night at Busch Stadium with numbness in the fingers of his right hand, which he classified as a side effect of his torn elbow ligament.

The Mets plan to send Atchison for tests on his elbow, although the reliever is not sure what that will accomplish. He has been pitching with a torn ligament since at least 2009, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

“It’s documented, obviously, with my elbow,” Atchison said. “Some of it’s, ‘What can I handle?’ I feel like I’ve been managing it pretty good all year, and today for whatever reason the tingling came back.”

Atchison, 37, missed more than two months last season after experiencing similar numbness, but opted against Tommy John surgery.

In 19 appearances spanning 18.0 innings Atchison has a 4.50 ERA and allowed 20 hits, 6 walks, six strikeouts and a 1.44 WHIP.

He said he could not feel his fingers last night when he failed to get an out and gave up three hits including a two-run homer to Matt Holliday.

What a beauty of a cover and an instant Mets collectible for all you die-hards out there. Get is signed, get it framed, I know I will.

Matt harvey has gone from New York sensation to a National sensation in less than a half season worth of starts.

SI.com’s Tom Verducci, calls Harvey:

“The most fascinating young power arm in baseball.”

“In an era dominated by pitchers, Matt Harvey has the ferocity of stuff and of will to rise above all of them,” writes Verducci who says Harvey has been groomed to become a great power pitcher with disciplined mechanics by his father, Ed, who coached Matt in high school in Connecticut.

On Sunday, Harvey told Steve Serby of the New York Post that his goal is not just to be the best, but to be a role model for kids.

“I love the little boy that’s in the stands and wants to be like you. I was that boy. I want to be a role model for those kids. I don’t want to be mediocre. I want to be one of the best and somebody that a lot of people look up to.”

It’s been a fascinating start for the young power-armed righty and every time he takes the mound you feel as though something special is going to happen. He is special.

Rafael Montero Looks Intimidating (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

The Dominator took to the mound for the Binghamton Mets tonight, in temperatures that made it seem more like an April night in the upstate New York city, than a night in the middle of May. Rafael Montero stood on the mound, with his glove in front of his face, so the batter could only see a pair of eyes staring in, and his mouth breathing steam like a locomotive.

He didn’t shut down Akron like he has shut down teams in the past — he gave up eight hits and two runs over six innings, but what he did on the mound tonight was still very impressive.

Montero was working quickly again tonight, which on a night where the temperature was in the mid-40s, was a blessing to the defenders. The last thing a guy playing defense wants to do on a cold night is stand around — everything stiffens up and your feet and toes go numb. Montero stuck with his fastball for the majority of the night, which could have also been attributed to the cold. The only reason for throwing so many fastballs tonight would be because he couldn’t get a good grip or feel for his off-speed pitches.

As I stated earlier, Montero did give up eight hits. However, when you take into account that he was throwing mostly fastballs, and he is always around the strike zone, the opposition is going to tag you for some hits unless you mix in some off speed stuff or throw 97 mph. This was also Montero’s third time facing Akron, which could have played a part in giving up the eight hits. Once a team sees a pitcher a few times, it can get get a little easier when hitting, not that Akron did much damage anyway. But the eight hits are the only negative thing that can be said about Montero’s start. It was the second-most hits he has given up in a game this year (gave up ten hits on May 1). And he was still pretty darn impressive even though he did surrender the eight hits.

Montero threw a total of 98 pitches, 66 of them were strikes. He struck out six Akron hitters and walked none. He now has 48 strikeouts on the year, and only 6 walks. That’s good for an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Montero isn’t going to give any teams free runs, but because of the type of pitcher he is, he isn’t going to hold many teams scoreless. Not for the time being anyway. If he can live on the corners, he may be the type of guy that eventually develops into a shutout threat every time he takes the hill. He is always around the strike zone, which could be good and bad for him all at the same time. When he is nipping the black, Montero dominates. However, even when he doesn’t, he still keeps the opposing hitters off balance enough to put his offense in a position to win games. They may get some hits, but Montero forces the opposing team to earn every run that crosses that plate — nothing is easy. That is what I really like about him.

Final Stat Line: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Photo courtesy of MMO contributor Gordon Donovan.

Harvey reminds us all of how much he wants to win every five days. He’s the textbook definition of a fierce competitor.

But thanks to Steve Serby of the New York Post, we learn a few things about Harvey that you might not have known about the intense right-hander.

:When asked about his growing celebrity, Harvey whisked it aside, but said something very interesting, “I like to have my personal life, but for right now and for the most part, the season’s on my mind, the All-Star game’s on my mind, and winning’s on my mind.”

The All Star Game… How cool would it be to see Matt Harvey getting the starting assignment before the throng of fans at Citi Field for the Mid-Summer Classic? Lets hope it happens.

I didn’t know that Matt was a bif fan of our crosstown rivals and Derek Jeter in particular. ”I was a Yankee fan growing up. In my mind, somebody who ruled New York was Derek Jeter,” harvey told Serby.

“You saw him everywhere, you heard about him everywhere. Everybody wanted to be like Derek Jeter. He never gets in trouble. He’s never doing anything wrong off the field. He’s just a true professional in everything he does.”

He never gets into trouble or does anything wrong. That’s a great take-away during these tough times in Flushing. We could use a few players like Jeter who never gets into trouble, don’t you think?

A few more like David Wright and Matt Harvey would go a long way toward healing the rift in what I see as a fractured clubhouse.

As to Harvey’s success, he credits one pitch for putting him over the top. “The slider. That’s definitely a pitch I feel like I can use right now in any count to a righty or lefty.”

It was nice to read about Harvey’s thoughts about baseball, life, cultural issues and even tragic events like the Boston Bombings and the Newtown Massacre.

Steve Serby doesn’t get enough credit for these weekly interviews he treats us to every Sunday. Go read his full column. .

Frank Francisco

Francisco hasn’t pitched since he last appeared in an inning of relief for Single-A St. Lucie. He hasn’t allowed a run five innings over five relief appearances with them.

yesterday, Adam Rubin reported that Francisco would head to Double-A Binghamton to continue his rehab, but obviously that probably won’t happen now.

Francisco had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in December and was shutdown early in Spring Training after experiencing discomfort in his elbow. He started the season on the disabled list.

After a woeful season in 2012, the Mets were hoping for a rebound from their closer who was signed to a $12 million dollar, two year deal by Sandy Alderson before the 2012 season. He is still owed $6.5 million for 2013.

Today, I’m going to stray from my usual 3 Up & 3 Down to write an entry that has been kicking around in my head for quite sometime now. This entry is about the first owner of the New York Mets, Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson.

One SNY feature, the only one I consider to be worth watching, is Mets Yearbook. In one particular episode, the year was 1963, they showed the final game at the old Polo Grounds, with Mrs. Payson and Casey Stengel on the field. As I watched, I thought of how remarkable a woman Mrs. Payson was – a woman clearly ahead of her time – and how the Mets will never have another owner as good and as wonderful as she was. Just watching all the video clips of her it was so apparent that Mrs. Payson truly loved her Mets, and it was just as apparent that Met fans loved her back.

When was the last time we saw a Mets owner sitting in the stands with the fans, rooting for our team? Whether eating a hotdog or enjoying a box of Cracker Jacks, there she was sitting with the rest of us and rooting for the team. She wasn’t isolated in an “owners box”, but instead enjoyed being with her people, Mets fans, and enjoying the game with them.

Before taking ownership of the Mets, Mrs. Payson was a shareholder of the New York Giants. In fact, Mrs. Payson tried all she could to talk Horace Stoneham out of moving the Giants to San Francisco. Mrs. Payson, and M. Donald Grant both voted against the Giant’s move. When the National League finally agreed to expansion and awarded a baseball team to New York, Mrs.Payson become the first woman ever to own a baseball team, and they couldn’t have made a better choice.

Mrs. Payson then went about the business of hiring the best baseball people available at the time. She also didn’t meddle and always allowed all of them to do their job. With 50 years of hindsight, the early Mets were a stroke of genius. New York was starving for National League baseball and Mrs. Payson and some other key people brought it back to us.

The Mets also brought back as many former Giants and Dodgers as they could to bring a hometown feel and familiarity to the team. They scooped up the most successful manager in the game in Casey Stengel. They then let the stars of the past play, while beginning the work of assembling an awesome farm system.

The 1969 Mets were amazing for several reasons. First off, before 1969 they never finished in the top of the standings and in fact were perennial cellar dwellars. Second, and even more amazing is that seven years after inception, the Mets were champions. In the pre free agency era, this truly was a miracle.

I became a Met fan in 1973. Sadly Mrs. Payson died in October of 1975, so I have very few memories of her. But to me, the thing that was so striking about her was her genuine, heartfelt love for all the Mets players, coaches and fans. I doubt we’ll ever see anything like it, or anyone like her, ever again. That my friends, is too bad.

Happy Mothers Day to all the remarkable women in your lives.

Don’t, OK? Save your breath – and Anthony Young’s time. Just get to the question. That’s right, the question; the inevitable query about losing. He won’t mind answering because, well, the reply is always the same.

“I pitched well during the stretch. It just happened. I don’t feel like I deserve it. I will be known for this forever. It was destiny.”

He accepts his place in history, yet, he reveals nothing about his true feelings.

What irks Young is the mind-numbing process; the back-and-forth, like some silly parlor game, between reporter and former athlete. The Q&A lingers. The questions turn to small talk. How do like coaching? What do you teach young baseball players? He takes a deep breath and exhales his frustration. Minutia, he thinks. Young’s mind is screaming: Ask the question!

Anthony Young has been living in baseball infamy for more than two decades for losing 27 consecutive decisions. The streak, which started on this day (May 6) in 1992, lasted 465 days, across 81 appearances and two seasons. The long slog finally came to a halt on July 24, 1993.

How can you tell when something bad is about to happen? There was nothing more than circumstantial evidence looking back at the aftermath of the New York Mets 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on May 6, 1992. Young pitched six innings, allowing five earned runs and six hits (including two home runs) in his first loss of the season. But it was OK. He won his first two starts. The Mets were 16-12.

“Take away two pitches (gopher balls) and it’s a different game,” Young told the media after the loss. “Those were about the only pitches I didn’t get where I wanted.”

A couple bad pitches led to a few bad games, a disappointing season, a long slump, a full-feature horror flick. The record has grown like an extra appendage to Young. As the losses piled up, Young held on to his confidence.

“I’m a good pitcher,” he said. “I believe in myself. The Mets believe in me, too.”

Young entered the 1992 off-season with a sense of hope. But Young had a four-month break – to think. Spring Training was a struggle. The media pressed him on the streak. After a relief appearance (2 IP, 4 R, 3 H) in a 7-3 loss against the Houston Astros, Young began to crack. Suddenly, the idea of breaking Cliff Curtis’ 23-game losing streak became a reality. There was enough negative momentum to not even Tony Robbins could save Young’s fragile state of mind.

As Young approached the record the stories turned downright laughable. No. 18 came on a walk-off hit to Mike Lansing of the Montreal Expos. Young, angered by his performance, attempted to kick a roll of toilet paper but missed, kicking a nearby porcelain toilet and nearly fracturing a toe.

Murphy’s Law seemed took over in June, adding fuel to the fire. Young appeared to be on the brink of snapping the streak in Chicago. He pitched six shutout innings against the Cubs; then Mike Draper and Mike Maddux surrendered eight runs in the final two innings. Young got a no-decision.

No. 22 was eventful. At Three Rivers Stadium, Young sneezed and snorted his way through seven innings in a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was later reported that prior to the game groundskeepers in Pittsburgh spread a drying substance on the mound to soak up rain. Young took the mound and suffered an allergic reaction to the substance. Apparently the old saying is true: When it rains … oh, nevermind.

Five days later Young tied the record thanks to four Mets errors that led to three unearned runs. He left after six innings and New York’s defense tightened up, causing former Mets pitcher Jeff Innis to comment: “Did you see the plays we made after he left?” he said. “When he goes out there, the whole team feels it. It’s intense.” Young left the Mets clubhouse that night wearing a tee-shirt that read: LIVE AND LEARN.

The tee portrayed a carefree, event hopeful, attitude on the outside, but inside, Young was terrified. “I’ve had four different managers in the three seasons I’ve been around,” he told the media. “Start? Bullpen? “Right now, I’m confused.”

By late June the Mets were buried in last place, 30 games under .500. They had lost four straight and Young was scheduled to start against the St. Louis Cardinals. The night before the game Young went to dinner with Gregg Jeffries, a former teammate. Let’s just get this over with. One way or another, he thought, break the record or break the streak. Less than 24 hours later, it was over. Young gave the 36,911 morbid Mets fans what they had come to see: a loss, and a piece of history. It was one for the record books. He owned the record: 24 consecutive losing decisions. Young was officially branded “a loser.”

The media presence was overwhelming. The Mets moved the post-game press conference to Dallas Green‘s office because of the media overflow. As they circled the perimeter and doorway, one member of a camera crew poked a hole in the ceiling, causing plaster to reign down on the media. Young shook his head in disbelief saying, “Everything is over with now. I broke the record; I’m in the record books. Now that I have the record, I hope you all can leave me alone.”

Not so fast Young man. It would be another month (and three more losses) before it was over.

Finally, on July 28, 1993, Eddie Murray drove in the winning run at Shea Stadium, giving the Mets a 5-4 victory over the Florida Marlins, ending Anthony Young’s infamous 27-game losing streak. Dallas Green popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. A fan sent roses. The Mets, and Young, celebrated.

“It wasn’t a monkey,” Young told reporters. “It was a zoo … the zoo had been lifted off of my back and we had just won the World Series.”

Two decades later and Young still has the shrapnel stored in his attic in the same box he kept them in at his locker at Shea; letters, cards and notes of encouragement and a videotape from his 1993 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In two-and-one-half seasons with the Mets he recorded five wins and 35 losses. Young was shipped off to the Chicago Cubs just days before Opening Day 1994.

“It was initially disappointing because I wanted to have a great season in New York,” he said years later. “Sure enough, Chicago hosted the Mets at Wrigley Field for Opening Day and Karl Rhodes connected on three homers off [Dwight] Gooden.”

It wasn’t all that bad. During one stretch, Young pitched 23.2 straight scoreless innings and over the one year and two-month stretch, he recorded 15 saves. There were moments – but not many.

Come on, admit it… At one time or another you made a joke about Daniel Murphy at second base since the day he took over the position once Jose Reyes was not re-signed and Ruben Tejada slid over to shortstop.

Was the criticism harsh and often times deserved? Maybe… Maybe not… Ok, yes it was…

But seeing is believing and when I mentioned how much better Murphy has been defensively a couple of weeks ago on Twitter, you all know you’ve seen the dramatic improvement as well. He has been passing the eye test.

So enter ESPN’s resident Mets historian and statistical guru Mark Simon, who wrote an interesting post yesterday about the porous Mets defense overall this season.

Hidden within that gem of an article, I found this:

Daniel Murphy has been the Mets’ most improved defensive player. He was charged with -11 Defensive Runs Saved last season, but is holding steady at a major-league average of zero Defensive Runs Saved through 240 innings in 2013.

The biggest difference for Murphy has been in how he converts the double play. Last season, he converted only 13 of his first 30 attempts (43 percent) as either relay man or pivot man. This season, he’s 24-of-35 (68 percent).

If other Mets could show the improvement that Murphy has, it would go a long way in making them a better team.

Wow, how amazing is that?

I’M FINALLY WITH 28!

A member of the SABR once said, “There are 499 ballplayers. And then there’s Willie Mays.”

It was way back in the summer of 1973. Camera Day. I was a few months shy of turning 8 years old. My dad nudged me closer to the railing along the third base line so no grown-ups would block my view. Mets players walked around the warning track, stopping every few feet to smile for the cameras. My dad clicked away on his little Kodak Instamatic. I was just feet away from my Mets. Something I still remember 40 years later.

Tug and Harry Parker rode around on the back of the Mets bullpen cart. Jerry Koosman, void of his cap, stopped within arm’s reach. Lanky Jon Matlack smiled broadly. Cleon Jone carried himself with swagger, looking every part the major leaguer. Rusty Staub carried a teddy bear. Then, an eerie hush, the calm before the storm, came over the crowd. The quietness gave way to a volcanic eruption of cheers and shouts. Carrying a baseball bat as if he was born with it in his hand came # 24.

As game time approached and my dad and I walked to our seats in Loge section 5 along first base, he leaned over and told to remember today. One day I would be able to tell my kids that I saw Willie Mays.

I was 7 years old. All I knew about this guy was that he had once played in New York a long time ago and made some important catch once.
When the topic comes up of who is the greatest to ever play the game, I immediately respond without hesitation: Willie Mays. Ruth didn’t have the speed, Williams didn’t have the glove, Cobb, although he played in the dead ball era, didn’t have the power. The Say Hey Kid didn’t just do it all. He did it better than anyone before or since.

Born May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, William Howard Mays was taught the game of baseball at age 5. His father, William Howard Taft, named after a US president, played in the Negro Leagues for the local iron plant. His mother was a talented basketball and track star. Willie had the genes.

Attending Fairfield Industrial High, Willie set school records in both basketball and football.

Upon graduating, Willie played for the Birmingham Black Barons. He caught the eye of Bud Maughn, a scout for the Boston Braves. Boston was interested in purchasing Mays. However, they dragged their feet and could not come to an agreement with the Barons. Had the Braves moved quicker, it’s likely that Willie would have been teammates with Hank Aaron.

Brooklyn was also interested in Mays, but by the time they got around to it, he’d already been signed by their crosstown rivals, the hated New York Giants.

There was no Roy Hobbs moment when Willie took the field in 1951. He didn’t knock the cover off the ball in his first AB. As a matter of fact, he went 0-for-his first 12. Then, his first hit came: A towering HR off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. Spahn later joked, “For the first sixty feet, it was a hell of a pitch.”

Willie hit 274-20-68 in 121 games and won the NL Rookie of the Year. It was Mays who was on deck later that season when Bobby Thomson hit ‘the shot heard round the world.’

The Giants lost the Series in 6 to the Yankees. Mays, along with Monte Irvin and Hank Thomson, were the first all-African-American outfield in baseball history.

After only 127 AB’s the following year, Uncle Sam came calling. Willie was drafted into the Army. He would not return to the majors until 1954. He missed 266 games.

But when he did return in 1954, he returned with a bang. He won his first of 2 MVP’s, hitting a league best 345 along with 41 HR’s. The Giants crushed the heavily favored Indians in 4 straight. The Series is best remembered for Willie’s iconic catch off the bat of Vic Wertz. In what is possibly the most popular image in Baseball history, The Say Hey Kid thus elevated himself to mythical proportions. This was the start of a legend. Modest Willie stated years later, “I don’t compare ‘em. I just catch ‘em.”

It was the last World Series the Giants ever won in New York. The team would not win another until 2010.

That season Willie earned $12,500.

The Giants played 3 more years in NY and over that span, Willie averaged 316, compiled 122 HR’s, 551 hits, 112 XBH, knocked in 308. Oh, and also managed to steal 102 bases.

In 1957, he became a member of the 20-20-20 club. 20 doubles, 20 triples and 20 HR’s. No player has done that since.

Willie Mays was not just a great ballplayer. He was fun, colorful and exciting. He had ‘a lot of little boy in him’ and that showed, both on and off the field. “I like to play happy,” he stated. “Baseball is a fun game. I love it.”

Willie was not only larger than life ON the field but off the field as well. He’d frequently hang out in Harlem, playing stick ball with neighborhood kids. When the Giants moved to San Francisco, he continued the tradition, playing in the sandlots with local kids. He truly was loved coast to coast.

Willie had no trouble winning the hearts of San Francisco fans. His first year out west he hit a career high 347. And although the Giants initially struggled in San Francisco, Willie continued putting up
Hall of Fame numbers.

On April 30, 1961, Mays hit 4 HR’s in a game. He was in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded.

In 1962 the Giants won a tight pennant race and met the Yankees in the Fall Classic. The Giants lost in a heartbreaking 7 games. Willie hit just 250. He would not appear in another World Series until 1973.

July 2, 1963 is what many claim to be the best baseball game ever played. Two future Hall of Famers, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn, dueled it out. For 16 innings the game was scoreless. It was like a heavyweight fight between two warriors who refused to go down. In the 16^th inning, it was Willie Mays who delivered the knockout blow, hitting a HR and giving SF a 1-0 win.

In turn, this added yet another historical fact to the lore of Mays. He is the only player to hit a HR in every inning, 1 thru 16.

It was 1964. Willie’s friend and teammate Bobby Bonds welcomed a son into the world and named him Barry. He asked Willie to be the newborn’s Godfather.

August 22, 1965 is widely regarded as one of the ugliest days in Baseball history. The Giants and Dodgers were embroiled in a tight pennant race. Tension was high, tempers were short. Things boiled over. Juan Marichal hit Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro in the head with a bat. And then all hell broke loose. Red Sox/Yankees had nothing on this. This was not the usual bench clearing brawl where a couple guys tousle and everyone else stands around. This was an all-out war that went on for 14 minutes. Players were bloodied, uniforms shredded. It was Willie along with Sandy Koufax who restored order. Just a few years ago, Marichal stated, “Had Willie and Koufax not ended that, we’d probably still be going at it today.”

The following year, 1965, Willie surpassed another historic milestone. He hit his 500^th HR, a blast off of Don Nottebart. When he returned to the dugout he was met by now teammate Warren Spahn. 13 years earlier it was Spahn who gave up Willie’s very first HR. The veteran LHP asked him, “Was it anything like the same feeling?” Willie responded, “Exactly the same feeling. Same pitch, too.”

Shortly after Jerry Koosman got Orioles second baseman Davey Johnson to fly out to left in October 69 and the Mets proved miracles can come true, The Sporting News named Willie Mays ‘The Player of the Decade.’

By early 1972, age was catching up to The Say Hey Kid. The Giants were struggling financially. Owner Horace Stoneham regrettably advised the Giant legend that he could not afford to offer Willie any type of position or financial reward upon his retirement. Enter the Mets.

Mets owner Joan Payson had been a minority shareholder for the New York Giants. In the late 50’s, she fought hard to keep them in New York. Payson watched her beloved Giants move 3000 miles away, longing for the day when her adored and cherished Willie Mays would somehow return to New York. That opportunity presented itself now.

Payson saw the chance, fought hard to get Willie back to New York and offered him a coaching position upon retirement. In early May the Mets sent Charlie Williams and $50,000 to Stoneham. The Say Hey Kid was back in New York, just 10 miles away from where the Polo Grounds once stood. And where the legend of Willie Mays was born.

It was a rainy Sunday, May 14, when Willie wore “NY” on his cap for the first time in fifteen years. In the fifth inning of his debut game, Willie, as always, rose to the occasion. He hit a HR that put the Mets ahead to stay. The losing team was, yes, the Giants.

August 17^th of the following season, 1973, Mays hit a solo HR off Reds starter Don Gullett. It was # 660, the final one of his illustrious career.

The Mets shocked baseball once again, coming back from the dead and from last place to find themselves battling the A’s in the World Series. At age 42, Willie became the oldest player to appear in the Fall Classic. He got the Mets first hit in the World Series.

Willie only had 7 AB’s against Oakland. He got 2 hits, including the game winner in the 12 inning Game 2. In spite of Willie’s hit tying up the Series, it was a heartbreaking day for fans of the game. And for fans of Willie. He misplayed a routine fly ball, losing it in the glare of the northern California sunlight. Just across the bay from where Willie established himself as the best fielding CF-er of all time, he dropped a fly ball hit directly to him. After the game, he commented, “Growing old is just a helpless hurt.”

In 1979, William Howard Mays was enshrined in Baseball immortality. He was elected to the Hall of Fame with 95% of the vote. Amazingly, 23 sportswriters did not include Mays on their ballot. Caustic New York columnist Dick Young, never at a loss for biting sarcasm, stated, “If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old glove, some guys wouldn’t vote for him. He dropped the cross three times, didn’t he?”

Willie was at or near the top of every offensive category at the time of his retirement. And in spite of the steroid era, smaller stadiums and weaker pitching staffs, he remains a “giant” among the greats: 660 Home Runs (4^th), 1903 RBI’s (10^th), 3283 hits (11^th), 2062 runs (7^th), 10881 at-bats, 557 slugging (19^th now but 10^th at retirement). All this plus a lifetime batting average of 302 and oh yea, 338 Steals, a 77% success rate on the base paths.

As impressive as these stats were and still are today, keep in mind Willie played the bulk of his career in the 1960’s, a decade dominated by pitching and cavernous stadiums.

He was a 2 time MVP winner (1954, 1965). He won a record 12 Gold Gloves for CF, a remarkable feat considering Willie had 6 years under his belt before the award was even created. And the fact that he played in the swirling unpredictable winds of Candlestick Park. His 24 All-Star games tie him for the most mid-summer classics with Stan Musial. In 1999, Mays was chosen as #2 on the Greatest Players of the 20^th century, the only living member. He holds the record for 13 straight years playing 150+ games.

In addition to his accolades, Willie, usually bashful, was honest and forthright. He knew he was good. And so did we. Some of his quotes:

“They throw the ball, I hit the ball. They hit the ball. I catch the ball.” “When I’m not hitting, I don’t hit nobody. But when I am, I can hit anybody.” “The game was easy for me.” When asked who he thinks was the best ball player he ever saw, Willie replied with a broad smile. “I think I was the best I ever saw play.”

As much as fans loved seeing him play, he was equally respected and admired by his peers and contemporaries.

Ted Williams: “They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays.”

Ted Kluszewski: “I’m not sure what charisma is but I get the feeling it’s Willie Mays.”

Mays’ manager Leo Durocher: “He can hit. He can run. He can field. If he could cook, I’d marry him.”

Reggie Jackson: “You used to think if you were winning 5-0 somehow Mays would find a way to hit a 5 run HR.”

Opposing manager Gil Hodges: “I can’t tell my batters not to hit it to him. Wherever they hit it, he’s there anyway.”

It’s been 4 decades since this little scrawny 7 year-old kid with a front tooth missing was nudged closer to the railing at Shea on Camera Day 1973, trying to see past all the tall grown-ups. It’s been 4 decades since my dad told me to remember the day I saw Willie Mays on a Baseball field. It’s been 4 decades and this little kid is now in his late 40’s. And yes dad, I still remember.

The Chicago Tribune discussed Tuesday’s homecoming of sorts for Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura and his coach Joe McEwing. Both were teammates for two seasons with the Mets including the 2000 team that won the National League, but lost to Yankees in the World Series.

“It was a great time,” said Ventura, who played for the Mets from 1999-2001. “We enjoyed it as a family just being there. The Mets were very good to me. There’s part of it going back, seeing a lot of faces that you’re friends with and happy to see.”

Who can ever forget Ventura’s most signature moment as a Met – The Grand Slam Single…

What a great memory and one that still gives me goosebumps.

The article also mentions that McEwing will be honored while he’s in town and will be inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame at Foley’s NY Pub and Restaurant in New York on Tuesday.

“You’re so proud of your background and heritage, and to be inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame is an honor I’m humbled by.”

Starting Lineup

1. Ruben Tejada, SS
2. Daniel Murphy, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Lucas Duda, LF
5. John Buck, C
6. Ike Davis, 1B
7. Marlon Byrd, RF
8. Jordany Valdespin, CF
9. Jonathon Niese, LHP

Game Notes

The Mets earned their first win in Atlanta when trailing in the ninth inning since September 18, 1993. Friday night David Wright tied the game with a solo home run in the ninth before New York plated two runs in the 10th. In 1993, the Mets won 3-2 in 10 innings when the club scored twice in the ninth and once in the 10th.

The Mets hit four home runs on Friday (John Buck, Lucas Duda, Marlon Byrd and David Wright). It was the second time this year New York hit four home runs in a game, also on April 19 vs. Washington (Ike Davis-2, Duda-2). The Mets hit four home runs in a game once last season (June 27 at Chicago-NL). The last time the Mets had four separate players hit a home run in the same game was September 30, 2006 at Washington when five players went deep (Wright, Endy Chavez, Shawn Green, Julio Franco and Ramon Castro).

New York optioned struggling outfielder Collin Cowgill to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday and promoted Andrew Brown. After hitting a grand slam on Opening Day, Cowgill hit just .130 in 18 games. He had not recorded an extra-base hit since April 6 and made a game-changing mistake on defense that led to an extra-innings loss Monday in Miami. Brown has been heating up with Las Vegas, hitting .367 with two home runs in 25 games, with an .882 OPS against left-handed pitchers. He went 0-for-3 in Friday’s game with a strikeout.

In his third appearance and second start since being activated from the disabled list, Shaun Marcum again failed to log five innings. He was charged with three runs on six hits and three walks in an 87-pitch no-decision. His ERA stands at 7.20.

The Mets and Major League Baseball announced Friday that they will host private screenings of the movie “42″ for New York City teenagers involved in YMCA programs. Screenings will take place May 6 at UA Kaufman Astoria Cinemas in Queens and May 13 at BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn, with each showing accommodating 300 teens.

Game Preview

The Mets made it two in a row on Friday night as they beat the Braves in the series opener. Then, the rain came from the sky and washed out last night, which knocked Harvey out of today’s spot. For the Mets it was a night of homers and back and forth action as Marcum faltered as did parts of the bullpen.

However the captain, David Wright, tied the game on a solo shot (after the Braves took the lead from the Mets and Wright did it against one of the nastiest closers in the game) and that was followed by a great 10th inning. The Mets try to take the series today behind Jon Niese as he goes up against Tim Hudson.

Jon Niese is 2-2 on the season over 6 games  with a 3.31 ERA and 32.2 innings of work. In his last 9 innings he’s allowed 3 ER. Last year he faced the Braves 4 times with a 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA over 27.0 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Jon Niese:

Uggla 8-29, 3 2B
Freeman 6-19, 2B, 2 HR
R Johnson 6-16
Justin Upton 5-11, 2B
Schafer 0-8
C Johnson 2-6, 2B

The Mets bats have scored 7 runs two games in a row and look to keep it going against Tim Hudson. Hudson is 3-1 over 6 games with a 3.86 ERA over 35 innings of work and he is coming off of one of his strongest starts of the season allowing only one earned run over 7 innings. Against the Mets last year he allowed 7 ER over 11.0 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Wright 15-68, 2 2B, 2 HR
Duda 6-20, 2B, HR
Davis 3-13, 2B
Tejada 8-17, 2B
Murphy 4-16, 2B
Buck 2-13

Let’s Go Mets!

When logging on to Twitter, you’ll often notice the most popular topics bandied about are a daily redundancy of Justin Bieber, a sporting event or athlete that is making news, and middle-schoolers telling you what not to do on a first date. However, every once in a while a hash tag like #MetsBandNames or #MetsYouveForgottenAbout will sneak into the “Trending Topics” column. When that happens, you can be sure it is not the work of “Beliebers” or 13-year-old dating experts. Instead, the thanks should go to a large group of Mets fans enjoying just another day in the community of the Mets Twitter world, or as they prefer to call it: #MetsTwitter.

Mets fans have always been known to be loud in voicing their support (or disgust) for the team. Though the New York Mets official Twitter feed has just over 177,000 fans, ranking them 13th out of the 30 Major League Baseball team accounts, the Mets fans seem to love not only tweeting about their team, but sharing their thoughts with fellow fans and creating discussions and friendships.

“I’m happy to say that I have made a lot of friends through Twitter,” stated Matthew Falkenbury (@dailystache), founder of the popular Mets blog The Daily Stache. “Whether it is fellow bloggers or just fans of the team, it is great to meet people who love the Mets as much as I do.”

To show the rising popularity of #MetsTwitter, Falkenbury started doing a ”Mets Twitter Recap” on his site. The feature is a basic summary of that night’s Met game, incorporating jokes and insight, all through the tweets of Mets fans.

“I saw the Sports Illustrated College Football blog, Campus Union, use the same idea for every bowl game, and I thought it would work with Mets games because of the great volume of Mets fans that tweet during the games,” Falkenury explained, also noting that viewership of the site has doubled with every Twitter recap. “It has been a great addition to the site.”

Even when there is no game in progress, #MetsTwitter is never at a loss for ideas.

“The one thing that I’ve noticed most about Mets fans on Twitter is that everyone cares about the team winning, but at the same time, Mets fans have the ability to make fun of their own team without any shame,” noted Tyler Siminski (@tysim19), a Mets tweeter and contributing writer for the site.

When an article came out last year reporting the Mets disappointment in Ike Davis’s partying habits, the #DrunkIke meme quickly became a running joke that still holds strong today. ESPN’s Karl Ravech will forever live in #MetsTwitter infamy after his incorrect hunch of “not buying that Phillies are dead” was tweeted late last year. Even Jordany Valdespin (or JV1, as #MetsTwitter refers to him as) has become a cult hero, thanks to his cocky attitude and self-portraits.

“The Mets have been nothing short of entertaining, on and off the field,” said Siminski.

Meredith Perri (@MeredithPerri) grew up in a Mets household in downstate New York, so she was well aware of the passion of Mets fans before joining MetsBlog.com as an intern last summer. But once her first post hit the internet, she got to experience first-hand how passionate the fans can be on social media.

“I definitely got a lot more tweets and followers,” she said, pointing out that she went from 100 followers to over 400 over the course of her internship. “I tweet about a number of things, but if you go through the people who follow me on Twitter, the majority are Mets fans.”

An aspiring journalism student at Boston University, Perri certainly appreciated the acknowledgement, and admitted it boosted her confidence.

“It felt like people were actually reading my work,” she said. “It was kind of like: ‘Okay, I can do this.’”

Of course, as a result of going to school in Boston, Perri knows all about raving sports fans. While she has grown used to the surrounding Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins fans, she says about Mets fans: “They are definitely very present and passionate on Twitter.”

Somewhat surprisingly, that passion has ceased to soften, despite the Mets woes over the last few years. While #MetsTwitter is certainly full of pessimists who sometimes make it seem as though they are rooting for the team to fail, thus causing some confrontation, the varying differences of opinions are what drives it to continually grow.

“I think that it is like having a gathering of Mets fans at a bar or a party that surrounds the watching of the game,” Falkenbury said. “People talk about the game. What has gone right, what has gone wrong. They make jokes, they fight, they live and die with the team and do it within 140 characters at a time.”

Still, Siminski feels it is the more jovial Mets fans who bring the spirit of a community.

“I think the main reason that Mets Twitter has become so popular is the fact that the team has gone through so many hardships the past few years. Everyone wants to be around once this team takes the next step.”

Eventually, that day will come. But for now, #MetsTwitter can take solace in the fact that they already have taken that next step, and it only looks to be getting bigger.

Thoughts from Joe D.

I thought it was uncanny that when Adam wrote this a few days ago, the next morning on Friday, there was an article in the New York Times by Richard Sandomir about basically the same exact subject that Adam has so cleverly covered here.

In an articled entitled, For Mets Fans, Even 140 Characters Can Be Too Many, I was pleasantly surprised to find our site mentioned in the very first sentence:

Those who use Twitter to comment about the Mets – from @MetsMerized and @kranepool to @TheHappyRecap and @metspolice — usually have plenty to say.

Rich is right. Many of us do have plenty to say about the Mets on Twitter even with the challenges of a 140 character limit. But that only breeds new and creative forms of sharing a message or opinion, and that’s the fun of it. Twitter has become another way to revel with other Met fans during a win, or share our misery after a loss. I absolutely love it.

Those who embrace the technology and the social aspects of Twitter such as Adam, me, and thousands of other Mets fans, use the social monolith to stay connected with the team, the players, and all the beat writers, while interacting with other followers and friends. The common bond that brings all of us together are those amazing New York Mets.

Last month we finally eclipsed 5,000 followers on @Metsmerized and we’re now at 5,232 after gaining 37 new followers this week. Go ahead and click that banner and join the revolution… You know you want to!

Here are some other suggestions on who to follow:

@metsjetsnets88, @metstradamus, @Erica_L_Sweeney, @Lets86it, @EricBien, @citycynic, @johnstrubel, @DickYoungsGhost, @WexlerRules, @JoyChica, @MFS_71, Mets_Nation.

AHHHHHHH! THERE’S A TWITTER ON MY HEAD!!!

Starting Lineups

Game Notes

Last night’s 15-inning game was the longest in Mets-Marlins history. The two teams had played two 12-inning contests, last on September 6, 2011 when the Mets won 7-4 in Miami. Last night’s game was the longest in club history since a 2-1 win over the Cardinals in a 20-inning affair on April 17, 2010 in St. Louis. New York is 1-2 in extra frames this year after going 3-7 last year.

John Buck hit his ninth home run of the year last night, tying a major league record for home runs by a catcher before the end of April. Johnny Bench (1971 Reds) and Charles Johnson (2001 Marlins) also clocked nine home runs before May 1. Buck’s nine home runs tie him for the most by a Met during the month of April with Carlos Delgado (2006) and Dave Kingman (1976).

Met catchers combined to hit five home runs last year after hitting six home runs in 2011. New York catchers combined had 17 home runs in 2010, led by Rod Barajas, who had 12. John Buck had 12 home runs and 41 RBI last year for the Marlins in 106 games.

Collin Cowgill said he misread Rob Brantley’s swing in the ninth inning and initially stepped backward on a ninth-inning fly ball that dropped in front of him. The critical miscue put the tying run on third base and ultimately played a large part in Bobby Parnell suffering a blown save in the ultimate 4-3, 15-inning loss to the the Miami Marlins.

New York has scored three or fewer runs in seven of its last 11 games and is hitting .193 (72-373) over that span. Overall, the Mets are sixth in the majors scoring 4.92 runs per game.

New York went 1-18 with runners in scoring position last night. Over the five-game losing streak, the club is batting .105 (4-38) with RISP. Overall, the Mets are fifth in the NL and 10th in the majors with a .269 (54-201) batting average with runners in scoring position. The club has eight home runs in such situations, tied for the fourth-most in the majors.

The Mets left 14 runners on base last night and over their last five games have stranded 38 runners. New York ranks 16th in the majors with 170 runners left on base.

Game Preview

Last night’s game was terrible. No way around it. The Mets got a good start from Harvey who didn’t have his best stuff, but left the game with the lead. The bullpen only faltered twice from that point, which was amazing because they had to go from the 6th inning until the 15th inning. The Mets bats just went cold, silent and it was just bad. Anyway Hefner gets the start today as he goes against Kevin Slowey.

Jeremy Hefner is coming off of a good start where he pitched 7 innings allowing 1 ER while walking 3 batters and striking out 4. He has now pitched 21.0 innings over 5 starts with a 5.14 ERA. His first start of the season, his second best start, was against the Marlins where he pitched 6.0 innings allowing one earned run while walking 2 and striking out 3. The Marlins have the following numbers against Hefner:

Stanton 1-10
Solano 2-6
Pierre 3-6
Polanco 3-7
Ruggiano 0-5
Dobbs 1-6, HR

The Mets bats will try to find their bats against Kevin Slowey who has been pitching well this season. Over his first five games, he’s 0-2 over 29.2 innings with a 2.43 ERA. He’s coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed 3 ER over 6 innings of work. He has made one start against the Mets in his career where he allowed 5 ER over 6 innings who have the following numbers against him:

Buck 3-11, 2B
Byrd 1-3
Davis 1-3
Wright 2-3, 2B, HR
Tejada 1-2, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

Starting Lineups

New York Mets

1. Mike Baxter RF
2. Justin Turner 3B
3. Daniel Murphy 2B
4. Lucas Duda LF
5. John Buck C
6. Ike Davis 1B
7. Ruben Tejada SS
8. Jordany Valdespin CF
9. Matt Harvey RHP

Miami Marlins

1. Juan Pierre LF
2. Donovan Solano 2B
3. Giancarlo Stanton RF
4. Placido Polanco 3B
5. Greg Dobbs 1B
6. Justin Ruggiano CF
7. Rob Brantly C
8. Nick Green SS
9. Jose Fernandez RHP

Game Alert!

David Wright is out of the game nursing a stiff neck. He told the team’s training staff about during yesterday’s game, but opted to stay in the game and tough it out. Manager Terry Collins said he didn’t want to push it and make things worse so he decided to have Wright have it checked out and get examined by a doctor, according to Marc Carig of Newsday.

Game Notes

• Catcher John Buck’s 23 RBIs are three shy of Jeff Kent’s team record for RBIs in April, set in 1994.
• Ruben Tejada is hitting .353 over his current five-game hitting streak.
• Wright snapped a 77-game errorless streak — the longest in franchise history for a third baseman and the longest current stretch at the position by a big leaguer — on a ground ball in Sunday’s first inning.
• David Wright ranks fourth in the National League with a .436 on-base percentage and Lucas Duda is fifth with a .429 on-base percentage. New York is tied for fifth in the NL as a team with a .317 on-base percentage.
• Over the weekend Frank Francisco threw 25 pitches in a throwing session and admitted he did not feel great after his outing. Francisco has made two rehab appearances with Single-A St. Lucie since being shutdown early in Spring Training after experiencing discomfort in his elbow.
• Pedro Feliciano had been hospitalized with a severe case of food poisoning, but the Mets hope to have him back on a mound this week. “He’s all good,” agent Melvin Roman told ESPN New York on Sunday about Feliciano’s current status.
• New York is fifth in the majors with a .290 (53-183) batting average with runners in scoring position. The club has eight home runs in such situations, tied for the second-most in the majors. Over the last six games, the Mets are hitting .211 (8-38) with RISP.
• Outfielder Juan Pierre is a .324 career hitter with 74 runs scored against the Mets. His 150 hits against New York are the second-most among active players, trailing only Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins (244).
• Matt Harvey takes the mound in the 7:10 p.m. series opener in Miami against rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez. Harvey is bidding to become the third Mets pitcher to go 5-0 in April, joining Pedro Martinez (2006) and Dwight Gooden (1988).

Game Preview

The Mets try to put last week way, way behind them as they travel south for a road trip to Miami. In the Mets last home stand the Mets started off on a good note take 2 of 3 from the Nationals and then dropping 5 of 6 to the Dodgers and the Phillies. Currently, the Mets are hoping to snap a 4 game losing streak. Luckily, it is Harvey day today as he takes on Jose Fernandez in another stellar young pitcher match up.

Harvey is coming off of his worst start of the season where he still was quality allowing 3 ER over 6 innings and the Mets still ended up winning the game thanks to a walk off grand slam from Valdespin. It also was the also the last time the Mets won a game. On the season, Harvey is 4-0 over 5 starts and 35.0 innings with a 1.54 ERA while he walked 10 BB with 39 strikeouts. This will be Harvey’s first start against the Marlins and the only Marlins who have faced Harvey are Pierre (2-6) and Polanco (0-1). The Mets booth added yesterday that Harvey’s most difficult task tonight will be Stanton (not a surprise) but Stanton has slider power, so if Harvey powers him with fastballs, he should be fine.

The Mets will be meeting Jose Fernandez for the second time this season. Fernandez is 0-2 this season with a 4.50 ERA over 4 games and 20.0 innings. In that stretch he walked 8 batters and struck out 19 batters. In his debut against the Mets he allowed 1 ER over 5.0 innings. In his first two starts he allowed only 1 ER over 11.0 IP. In his last two starts he has allowed 9 ER. The Mets have the following numbers against Fernandez:

Cowgill 0-3
Baxter 0-2
Davis 0-1
Duda 0-2
Murphy 1-2
Recker 1-2, 2B
Tejada 1-2

Lets go Mets!

Starting Lineup

1. Mike Baxter – RF
2. Ruben Tejada – SS
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. David Wright – 3B
5. Lucas Duda – LF
6. John Buck – C
7. Ike Davis – 1B
8. Jordany Valdespin – CF
9. Dillon Gee – RHP

Game Notes

• The Mets have scored 110 runs in their first 20 games (5.5 runs per game). The 110 runs are the fourth-most the Mets have scored after 20 games in any season. New York is scoring 5.5 runs per game ranking first in the majors.
• Mets starting pitchers are 7-6 with a 3.72 ERA (45 earned runs/109.0 innings). The 3.72 ERA ranks 13th in the majors…The staff is 7-4 when they toss a quality start.
• The Mets turned four double plays yesterday. New York has turned at least one double play in 10 of its last 11 games. The club has not made an error in a season-high five consecutive games. New York is eighth in the NL with a .984 fielding percentage.
• John Buck leads the NL and is third in the majors with his 22 RBI. Buck is also tied for third in the NL with seven home runs. Jeff Kent holds the team record with 26 RBI in April in 1994.
• Lucas Duda ranks third in the National League with a .459 on-base percentage and David Wright is fifth with a .438 on-base percentage. Wright is second in the NL with 18 walks and Duda is third with 17. New York ranks ninth in the majors as a team with a .329 on-base percentage.

Game Preview

The Mets look to bounce back from dropping a series against the Dodgers by taking one from Phillies tonight at Citi Field. Yesterday was a frustrating day as the Mets offense just could not build any rallies off of Hefner’s strong start and ended up losing 3-2 after winning the previous game with a walk off grand slam. Tonight Dillon Gee will take the mound for the Mets as he squares off against Kyle Kendrick.

Dillon Gee is now 1-3 on the seasoon with a 5.85 ERA over 19.2 innings of work. He looked a lot better in his last start against the Nationals where he allowed 3 hits and no runs over 5.2 innings of work and tonight he has a shot of redemption. In his last start against the Phillies, the second start of the season for Gee, he allowed 7 ER over 3.0 innings. Now he gets the Phillies outside of their sand box and inside of Citi Field. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

Mayberry 4-11, 2B, 2 HR
Rollins 7-11, 2B
Utley 2-10, 2B
Howard 3-9, 3 HR
Nix 2-6
Young 4-5, 2 HR

Kyle Kendrick is 1-1 this season over 4 starts with a 3.28 ERA. Kendrick’s only bad start was the first of the season where he allowed 5 ER over 5.2 innings, after that he has allowed 2 ER or less between 6 or 7 innings (including a 2 ER, 6 IP outing against the Mets). On the bad side, he has allowed 8 hits in three of his four starts this year. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Wright 11-34, 2 2B, 2 HR
Davis 4-19, 2 2B
Murphy 3-17, 2B
Duda 3-12, 2 2B, HR
Buck 1-10, HR
Baxter 3-6, 2B, HR

Lets Go Mets!

Rafael Montero, rhp, Mets: The rules of the game allow for New York to put off a 40-man decision on the 22-year-old Montero until after the 2014 season. Necessity may dictate a callup this season, given the way that Montero has pitched at Double-A Binghamton. After dealing six shutout innings at New Hampshire on Saturday, Montero has allowed four runs in four starts, going 3-0, 1.59 with an incredible 27-1 K-BB ratio in 22 2/3 innings.

Domingo Tapia, rhp, Mets: The strong-armed Tapia started striking batters out last season in the South Atlantic League, and he apparently remembered to pack those whiffs for his assignment to high Class A St. Lucie this season. The 21-year-old ranks third in the Florida State League with 23 punchouts after recording 11 in 12 2/3 innings this week and allowing two earned runs in two starts.

Updated 12:15 PM

David Wright on Wednesday joined New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Mets favorites in kicking off this year’s All-Star Game festivities at City Hall, with less than three months to go before the Midsummer Classic at Citi Field.

Wright was named Major League Baseball’s official spokesman for the T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, to be held at the Jacob K. Javits Center from July 12-16, while former Mets Edgardo Alfonzo, John Franco and Mookie Wilson were anointed All-Star ambassadors.

“All-Star FanFest is the world’s largest baseball fan event and is a great experience for the whole family,” Wright said in a statement. “Just like New York City, FanFest has something for everyone, and I am proud to be a part of the home team as we host this exciting event.”

As FanFest’s official spokesperson, Wright will help to generate public awareness for the event and make appearances in support of it. Alfonzo, Franco and Wilson, meanwhile, will take part in an array of All-Star events leading up to and throughout MLB All-Star Week.

Some attractions include:

• The Diamond - Located at the center of T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, this attraction features daily clinics and appearances by MLB players, managers and other experts. Past appearances have included George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Torii Hunter, Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Jr. and many other MLB greats
• Legends Autograph Program - Free autographs from Hall of Famers and MLB legends. Players such as Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins and Juan Marichal have previously signed for fans at T-Mobile All-Star FanFest
• National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum - Take a stroll through Baseball’s glorious past and experience the history of the national pastime with one of the largest collections of artifacts on loan from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown
• The Negro Leagues - A compelling visual journey back in time, the Negro Leagues attraction brings to life the heroic history of some of the game’s proudest and most talented players
• Hometown Heroes - Hometown Heroes showcases the New York Mets history, roots in the community and promise for the future
• World’s Largest Baseball - What better way to welcome families to the largest baseball fan event in the world than with the World’s Largest Baseball? The signature white leather, red-laced ball measures 12 feet in diameter and features the signatures of baseball greats such as Hank Aaron, Rod Carew, Derek Jeter, Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith and Ted Williams

The All-Star Game will return to Queens this summer for the first time since 1964, when the Mets hosted it during Shea Stadium’s inaugural season. New York City has played host to the Midsummer Classic eight times, most recently at the old Yankee Stadium in 2008.

Citi Field opened in 2009 after more than a decade of planning and construction; its completion coincided with the demolition of Shea Stadium, which the Mets called home for 45 seasons. Owner Fred Wilpon recently called the All-Star Game a chance to “show off the ballpark,” which was constructed to resemble old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

New York City has hosted the All-Star Game nine times, but this year’s game will be the first in Queens since 1964. New York last hosted the Midsummer Classic in 2008 at old Yankee Stadium.

Including the space in 54 luxury boxes, six clubs and restaurants, Citi Field can hold up to 41,922 fans at maximum capacity. Opened in 2009, the ballpark is within steps of the Citi Field-Willets Point stop on the New York City subway’s elevated No. 7 line.